Automobile door lock



Jan. 10, 1939. A. .1 LEONARD AUTOMOBILE DOORLOCK Filed April 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1956 a 4 4 a a z 72 2 ww a z i U n, w m N I h \gwV/xfi Z 9 E an 5 Z 9 1 z Z a 9 a 7 a a Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 2 Claims.

Generically this invention relates to door looks, but it more especially is directed to the type particularly applicable to the doors of the closed bodies of motor vehicles and constitutes an improvement on my application, Serial No. 38,409,

filed August 29, 1935, and which has now matured into Pat. No. 2,104,838, dated Jan. 11, 1938, for Automobile door locks.

One of the principal objects of this invention" is the provision of a lock of this character having an outside actuating handle when in latch operating and non-locking position and spaced from the outer surface of the door, and adapted to be pushed under spring tension into a complemental recess in said door surface, such improvement effecting automatic locking of the door in closed position and the handle in said recess.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a look of this character wherein the handle in non-locking position rests in a plane spaced from the surface of the door and compressible under the action of a spring into a complemental recess in said door surface to effect automatic locking of the door and the handle in the recess, thereby preventing access to said handle by unauthorized persons and eliminating the employment by such persons of leverage force to damage the locking mechanism or breaking the handle in gaining access to the interior of the vehicle and eliminating the use of a key except when it is desired to unlock the door, however, insertion and manipulation of the key in the lock releases the locking mechanism and the handle is restored to its initial position by said spring and the action of effecting withdrawal of the key from the lock restores the locking means to operative locking position.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of a lock of this character having a 4 spring controlled handle movable into a recess when the door is in locked position and means operable from within the car to effect return of the handle to its projected position under the action of its controlled spring, said doors adapted to be opened from the inside of the car and closed without removing the handles from their positions in said recesses as desired.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an automobile door lock of this character wherein a key is only necessary in unlocking the door from the outside and that normally the handles of all of the doors are adapted to seat in recesses thereby carrying out the streamline effect now so sought after and at the same time permitting opening and closing of the doors from the inside as desired, key operable mechanism always being in locked position with the handle in the recess but not interfering with the opening and closing of the door, it only being necessary to manipulate the key when it is desired to gain access to the car from the outside.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through the lock and portion of automobile door showing the handle in plan and in extended position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the handle in compressed and locked position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. t

Fig. 41 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the locking dogs.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. l of a modification showing the interior lock releasing means.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the handle in retracted and locked position.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 6 on an enlarged scale and showing the shaft in section.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side View of the shaft and dog.

Fig. 10 is a sectional View on the line llllll of Fig. 8.

Looks of this general type with which I am familiar have proven deficient in that the operating handles lend themselves to being acted upon by an additional leverage force to be in some instances twisted off and in others breaking the locking mechanism, thereby permitting unauthorized access to the car and necessitating a new handle and lock structure, it also requiring manipulation of a key to gain access to the car and again to lock the car, and it was to overcome such deficiencies and to provide means, without departing materially from the conventional handle design, to substantially conceal the operating handles so as to eliminate protuberances and accentuate the streamlining idea and whereby the F doors may be opened and closed from the interior of the car as desired, and without disturbing the key locking handle mechanism, except by manipulation of the key to gain entrance to the car from the outside in the first instance, and

which I have accomplished by the unique and simplified lock construction forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown, in the present instance, an automobile door I in which is provided a cut out portion A formed at the inner surface of the door with a countersunk portion 2 communicating with an enlarged cylindrical bore 3, a reduced bore 4, and terminating at the outer surface of the door in a recess 5 substantially conforming to and constituting a seat adapted to receive the door operating handle 6, as will be well understood.

Spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the door is a plate I secured by screws 8 or in any suitable manner. Operating handle 6 is formed with a cylindrical shank 9, the lower end of which is adapted to be welded, screwed or otherwise suitably connected to plate 9' adapted to seat against the top wall of bore 3 when the handle 8 is in extended position. Mounted in said shank and extending to the surface of said handle is a lock structure B operable by key I0. Suitably connected to the key operating mechanism of lock B is a cylindrical member II extending through shank 9 and plate 9 and within enlarged bore 3 and mounted on said member I I adjacent its free end is a rectangular latch plate I2 formed with a beveled edge I3 swedged, welded or otherwise secured thereto. Said cylindrical member is formed with a longitudinal bore I4 preferably square in cross section and adapted to telescopically receive the similarly shaped end of shaft I5. The free end of shaft I5 is cylindrical and extends through opening IS in plate I. Shaft I5 is formed at its free end with a threaded nut or head I'I adapted to rest in a plane substantially coincident with the inner surface of the door I.

On opposite sides of shaft I5 plate I is formed with upstanding ears I8 to which are pivotally mounted at their lower ends dogs I9, each of which is formed at its upper end with an oppositely projecting latch tooth 20 and a beveled surface ZI adapted to engage the beveled surface I 3 of latch plate I2, as will hereinafter more fully appear. In order to limit the movement of the dogs in meeting direction plate I is formed adjacent each dog with an upstanding lug 22. Each of said dogs at its upper end is formed with a rearwardly projecting lug 23 and suitably connected to which and preferably seating on plate I or in a seat 23 formed therein, is spring 26 adapted to resiliently maintain the dog in a perpendicular and latch engaging position, but permitting sufiicient spread of the dogs to permit passage of latch plate I2 therebetween when handle 6 is depressed, as will hereinafter be more fully apparent.

Mounted in bore 3 and seating against plates 1 and 9' is a compression spring 25 which is adapted to'normally urge handle E5 outwardly, and when said handle is depressed bringing latch plate I2 beneath teeth 20, said handle will be firmly held in recess 5 and in locked position, as will be apparent. To unlock the door it is only necessary to insert key It] in look B and actuate the same to move latch plate I2 at right angles to its position when engaged by dogs 23, thereby releasing it from said dogs and permitting the handle to be returned to its initial non-locking and latch operating position. When key It is actuated to permit its withdrawal from lock B it returns latch plate I2 to locking position so that to again lock the door it is necessary only to depress handle 6 to its position in recess 5.

While I have not shown a liner mounted in the cut-out portion A and. conforming to the configuration thereof, it is to be understood that such casing or lining may be employed if desired without affecting the scope of this invention. It will also be noted that countersunk portion 2 is adapted to house a portion of the remote control mechanism C, whereby the latch may be operated from within the car, but as such means forms no part of the present invention it is not herein illustrated or described in detail.

In Figs. 6 to 10 there is shown a slightly modified form similar in principle to that above described, the principal difference being that no key is required, and while similarly operating in looking direction it difiers therefrom in that means is provided for releasing the locking mechanism from the interior of the Vehicle.

In this form plate Ia constitutes a bearing member and is suitably secured in countersunk portion 2a and is formed with opening Ilia. Seating on said plate is a cylindrical casing 26 fitting in bore 3 of portion A. Shank 9a of handle Ea extends through bore 4 similar to the form above described and is suitably secured to plate 2? fitting within casing 26. Said plate 2? is formed with oppositely positioned threaded pins 28 adapted to project through slots 29 formed in opposite sides of casing 26 for reciprocating movement therein. Spring 25a is mounted in casing 26 with one end seating on plate Ia and the other against movable plate 2! which it tends to urge outwardly with respect to the casing to maintain handle 6a extended, as hereinbefore described in connection with spring 25. Extending through opening Ilia of plate Ia is a shaft St the upper end of which is adapted to extend through opening 30 in plate 2'! and within bore 32 formed in shank 9a for reciprocating movement therein, said bore and shaft being square in cross section. Shaft 3| is formed with a slot 3Ia and with outwardly projecting lugs 33. Mounted in said shaft and operable in said slot are a pair of dogs 34 formed with ears 35 pivotally connected to said lugs by pins 36. Each of said dogs is formed at its upper end with an oppositely projecting latch tooth 31 and with a beveled surface 38 adapted to engage a respective beveled slot 39 formed at opposite sides of opening 33 in plate 21, which when said plate 2? is moved downwardly over said teeth they are moved in meeting direction against the action of spring 60 suitably secured to pin H extending through shaft 3| and which operates to expand, within slots 32 formed in the end of shank Ed, said dogs to engage teeth 31 over plate 2'5 when said plate has passed below said teeth.

The dogs 36 as above stated are pivoted substantially central of their length and their ends opposite to teeth 31 are formed with the ppositely curved or cam surfaces 42 to provide an opening adapted to receive the free end of pointed plunger member 43 mounted on the end of plunger shaft 54 on the free end of which is suitably mounted operating button 45. Said plunger mechanism is mounted in nipple 56 formed with bearing 41 on which is adapted to seat spring 58 in chamber 49, and engaging the upper end of said spring is ring 50 movable in chamber 43 and firmly secured to shaft 44. The inner end of said nipple $6 is threaded as at for engagement with the free end of shaft 3| 3'5 and terminates in flange 52, so that when the nipple is operatively'positioned a space 53 will be provided in which is mounted a remote control latch operating means C in connection with shaft 35 to operate the latch from the interior of the car in the usual manner. Such latch operating means forms no part of my invention and being well known to the art is not herein illustrated or described in detail.

It is thought that the operation of the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 has been clearly hereinbefore set forth, and that while the operation of the form illustrated in Figs, 6 to 10 is thought tobe clear from the above description it might be Well to further state that, when the door is unlocked and the handle 6a in non-locking and latch operating position as shown in Fig. 6, it is only necessary to push said handle into seating engagement in recess 5a, which movement forces plate 21 downwardly and as beveled slots 39 engage beveled surfaces 38, dogs 36 will be compressed in meeting direction against the action of spring 40 as they pass through opening 30 and when plate 21 has passed below teeth 31 they will be expanded by said spring to engage the upper surface of said plate, thereby securely locking the handle in recess 5a and locking said door, as will be clear without further description.

While as above stated the door may be opened from the interior of the car by the remote control mechanism without disturbing the locked arrangement of parts for removing the handle from the recess as above described, the door can not be opened from the exterior of the car, and to release the locking means so that the handle may be utilized to open and close the door from the outside it is only necessary to exert a pressing force on button 45, forcing the plunger into Wedging engagement with surfaces 42, which action causes contraction of teeth 31 of dogs 34 in meeting direction and as said teeth are disengaged from the surface of plate 21 the said plate will project shank 9a and handle 6a outwardly under the action of spring 250., returning handle 6a from recess 5a to its initial non-locking and latch operating position spaced from said door.

While in the foregoing description I have described and illustrated two embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that detailed construction and association of parts may be modified without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Although in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment is the most efiicient and practical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. In means for operating a door operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a handle provided with a hollow shank adapted to slide over said shaft so as to alter its position with respect to said shaft, means to releasably maintain said shaft and shank in relatively contracted position comprising a dog pivotally mounted above and radially movable with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said dog being formed with a cam surface, a shoulder associated with the shank and adapted to be engaged by the dog when said shank and shaft are in their relatively contracted position, resilient means normally urging the dog into engagement with said shoulder, and means movable through said shaft and formed with a complemental cam surface for coaction with said first mentioned cam surface and manually operable to effect disengagement of the dog and shoulder against the tension of said resilient means.

2. In means for operating a door operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a handle provided with a hollow shank adapted to slide over said shaft so as to alter its position with respect to said shaft, means to releasably maintain said shaft and shank in relatively contracted position comprising a pair of dogs pivotally mounted outwardly of the exterior surface of the shaft and radially movable with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said dogs having cam surfaces forming a V-shaped opening, shoulders associated with the shank and adapted to be engaged by the dogs when said shank and shaft are in their relatively contracted position, resilient means normally urging the dogs into engagement with said shoulders, and means movable through said shaft and formed with a cam element adapted to extend within said opening for coaction with said cam surfaces and manually operable to effect disengagement of the dogs and shoulders against the tension of said resilient means.

ALBERT J. LEQNARD. 

